Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerRain washed out the Aeros game Tuesday night in Akron, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of media members to get an interview with new Indian Matt LaPorta.

Matt LaPorta was up until 4 a.m. Tuesday, packing for his trip from Alabama to Akron. In the process, he lost his cell phone, then the airlines lost his suitcase, the one with his street clothes.

LaPorta's mitt, bats, spikes and confident smile arrived at Akron's Canal Park on Tuesday afternoon -- just in time to watch the Aeros' game get rained out.

But that's probably a good idea, because the key player in the Tribe's CC Sabathia deal with Milwaukee can use a day for his heart to slow down a bit, his mind to begin to realize he's with a new team in a new ball game where fans already have him on the fast track to Progressive Field in Cleveland -- even if the Indians say they want to take things slow with their new right-handed power hitter.

"I've always wanted to be a big-league ballplayer," LaPorta said. "But I never put a time on it. I just want to play hard and let things take care of themselves."

Sounds like something a team's public relations department taught LaPorta to say, but watching him make sincere eye contact and measuring his words carefully -- you sense he really believes it.

The same when he says he believes players should be role models, that "little kids look up to guys in uniform." He mentioned how he wants to be a good example, and "if you help out one of 100 people [you meet], that's something."

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerMatt LaPorta: "I'm not going to worry much about what people say, I'm just going to work on putting up the [statistics] and being a good teammate."

LaPorta is 23, and he was not intimidated in the least by the estimated 30 reporters waiting for him in Akron. He played on college baseball's biggest stage at the University of Florida, where he twice was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and appeared in the College World Series. He was the Brewers' first-round pick in the 2007 draft, signing for an estimated $2 million.

But even a player with that background and 32 homers in 417 pro at-bats never expected to be traded for a Cy Young Award winner.

"I can't think about that or the expectations," he said. "CC is an outstanding player. I'm just going to bring my enthusiasm, my hard work and my bat [to the Tribe organization]."

LaPorta just hits, and hits the ball far.

At Florida, he owns school records for homers in a season and for a career. In high school, he also set home run records. In his first year of pro ball, there were 12 homers in 30 Class A games, including a homer in his first pro at-bat. Baseball America rated him the Brewers' top minor-league prospect.

"He went from a metal bat to a wooden bat without it having any effect on him at all," said Tribe minor-league director Ross Atkins. "That's really rare. He has no glaring holes in his swing. He is a high-contact, high-power hitter who gets on base."

The point is LaPorta is used to hitting in the middle of the lineup under the glare of stadium lights with fans assuming something special will happen every time he comes to the plate. He's 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and looks strong enough to swing Paul Bunyan's axe. He said he'll play the outfield, first base, whatever the Indians want.

"We project Matt as becoming an average left fielder," said Atkins. "And we believe he can be average or better at first base."

LaPorta was keeping a journal for minorleaguebaseball.com, where he has written about twice not signing after being drafted in the 14th round (in 2003 and 2006), and how friends said he was making a mistake to return to Florida for his senior year. He wrote about wanting to play once more with his college teammates, and how his decision came through some serious prayer, thanking "God for giving me the courage" to follow his heart rather than the advice of others.

Newly acquired power hitting prospect, Matt LaPorta, talks to the media after arriving in Akron on Tuesday evening. Listen to what he had to say in this three part interview.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

That led to a monster senior season and being the No. 7 pick in the 2007 draft.

The Indians thought about sending him to Class AAA Buffalo, N.Y., since he dominated the Class AA Southern League with a league-leading 20 homers and is second with 66 RBI, his .978 OPS being third. But they decided to let him take a few whacks at Class AA Eastern League pitching, and then move up once he shows some success.

LaPorta doesn't seem especially concerned where he starts for the Tribe, he just wants to finish strong.

He bought a new cell phone, and saw that he had 78 text messages and 62 voice messages. He heard his name on ESPN's "SportsCenter," and thought that was "pretty good." But in the end, it comes down to baseball -- and swinging the bat.

"I like new things, and this is new," he said of the trade. "I'm not going to worry much about what people say, I'm just going to work on putting up the numbers [statistics] and being a good teammate."

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